Role of electronic word-of-mouth content and valence in influencing online purchase behavior

ABSTRACT

Electronic word of mouth (eWOM) becomes an important tool for online consumers for evaluating and selecting a product. Extant research has mainly studied how various eWOM characteristics such as valence, volume, and text-based eWOM content affect purchase behavior. This study, for the first time, has explored the role of mixed neutral WOM valence and rich eWOM content on online purchase intention. Initially, the qualitative analysis method was used to conduct in-depth interviews with experts-cum-online shoppers from different fields. Purposive sampling was used to select 14 experts and online shoppers from diverse fields. Inductive analysis was conducted to analyze the interview generated content. It helped in forming various codes and categories in explaining eWOM constructs. Content analysis was also used to analyze the importance of various factors in key constructs (themes) affecting online behavior. The finding from the content analysis confirmed that both mixed neutral eWOM and rich eWOM content positively affects online purchase intention. This study has also explored how insights derived from the content analysis of valence and content can help marketers to develop an online marketing strategy. Research implications and future research directions have been discussed in this paper.

KEYWORDS:

• Electronic word of mouth
• mixed neutral eWOM
• online review
• eWOM valence
• online purchase intention

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Gobinda Roy

Gobinda Roy is a doctoral student in marketing and currently pursuing PhD in Management (marketing) in Vinod Gupta School of Management (VGSOM), Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, India. His current research interest includes online/internet marketing.

Biplab Datta

Biplab Datta is an Associate Professor at Vinod Gupta School of Management (VGSOM), Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur. His current research interest includes e-Word of Mouth and Ethics as part of Brand equity. He has published several papers in International and Indian Journal. He has also published a book entitled Services Marketing: A Practical Approach.

Srabanti Mukherjee

Srabanti Mukherjee is currently an Assistant Professor in the Vinod Gupta School of Management, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India. Her key interest areas of teaching and research are consumer behavior, services marketing, and marketing to bottom of the pyramid. She has authored a book titled Consumer Behaviour published by Cengage Learning India Pvt. Ltd. She has registered a couple of business cases with Ivey Publishing, which are co-distributed by Harvard Business School Publishing. She has published a number of research papers and articles in peer-reviewed journals and presented papers in several national and international conferences.